The activewear sector of the fashion industry continues to evolve as sportswear becomes the new luxury with fashion houses like Fendi teaming up with the likes of Fila to produce collections that mix high-end fashion with active clothing.
The activewear trend isn't anything new, however, it's expected to go nowhere in 2020.
Global fashion search platform Lyst released its trend report for activewear in 2020, comparing more than 104million shoppers across 12,000 fashion brands.
In general, it found that searches for activewear items have seen a significant increase since the beginning of the new year and are up 59 percent.- daily mail
Consumers are becoming more concerned about health and wellness, especially the younger generation which is steering the way for athleisure to become the new luxury. Modern consumers want their premium fashion choices to be stylish but comfortable. The demand for the athleisure category in fashion is also endorsed by celebrities on social media, as well as people's aspirations being based on Instagram models they see online. I want to explore why consumers are being influenced further.
The distinction between gym wear and daywear is disappearing and creating new opportunities for streetwear fashion trends. As the line blurs, luxury fashion brands will expand their collections to compete in the market to produce high-end activewear outfits.
It's not only luxury fashion that is embracing the change, but many high street fashion brands are also adopting the trend in different ways with some online retailers such as ASOS and PLT having whole categories dedicated to the sport/streetwear styles they house.
"When I saw sneakers were going to be a thing, I fought it for a bit. We’re definitely now investing heavily in that category, getting in very specialized people.”- Paul Andrew, Salvatore Ferragamo Creative Director
There is a lot of different styles within the athleisure category which spans beyond trainers, resulting in endless opportunity. Athleisure now includes yoga pants, jogger pants, tank tops, sports bras, hoodies, and so on. Each item is increasingly designed to be worn for everyday wear rather than just for the gym.
Certain luxury designers took a different route and collaborated with reputable sports and casual attire brands as I mentioned earlier with the Fendi x Fila collab. The goal is to create co-branded athleisure wear: from Alexander Wang x H&M to Louis Vuitton x Supreme and Stella McCartney x Adidas. This is always successful too. With consumers from both realms (such as 'hype beasts') wanting to buy from the limited collections.
Two factors fuelling the growth of athleisure wear in 2020:
Celebrities
The Kardashians/Jenners are one of the most recognizable groups of celebrities who wear athleisure as streetwear with Kanye West having his own collection of comfortable but stylish clothing. As well as them Beyoncé, Rihanna, etc have transformed the perception of activewear and made it a hit fashion statement. With the millions of followers, they have on social media taking notice. 38 percent of Millennial and Generation Z consumers are reported to be highly affected by what social media influencers wear and the brands they decide to embrace. A lot of influencers actually have their own athleisure collections like Kate Hudson’s Fabletics and Beyoncé’s Ivy Park.
Wellness as a fashion statement
People all over social media post pictures in activewear as a desire to show that they are fit and healthy and taking part in exercise activities. This adds pressure on people wanting to look good and be seen to be living fulfilling lives. Consumers increased concern for wellness pushes the demand for retailers to produce share-worthy active clothing.
Comments